Chapter 12: Naori (Recovery)
The morning after the rebellion, Fiona helped Van in disinfecting and covering his wounds. Even though her ninja partner suffered a lot of relatively serious injuries, he was able to remain in one piece.
"Ne, Van-kun, do you still remember what you had promised to me five years ago?" the young lady asked her fiancé.
"Hai. I said that when the day your people regain their freedom comes, I will cut my hair short." the jonin has responded. "Now that that day has come, it's time for me to fulfill that promise." he continued.
Van then immediately cut the hair at the back of his head, which he had kept in braid for the past five years, shortening its length to reach down only at his upper nape.
"Van-kun, that's how your hair was when you confessed that you love me at the central park. I admire that look!" the princess murmured as she giggled.
"Well, it would only be few weeks before we turn eighteen. And I'll ensure that you will become the most joyful princess in the planet once you became my wife." the lad ninja master has replied.
"And I can't wait to become the right hand of my captain!" the daimyo's daughter riposted.
Maria then approached the two of them at the balcony of their tribe's meeting hall.
"When is my otohtoh and his hime are planning to get married?" the kunoichi asked the two of them.
"On February 20." answered the daimyo's daughter.
"That's two weeks after your eighteenth birthday and almost a month after Van turned eighteen." Maria had mentioned in return.
"It is so in order for us to be fully prepared, nee-san." the jonin said in connection. "Also, we are planning to live at our tribe's northwest village in order for me to forge even stronger ties with the shinobi tribes of Niigata." he added.
"I think that's a very wise decision since without the Niigata tribes, Prozen might have taken over Nagano." his sister commented. "Speaking about Prozen, Atsushi-sama have decided that the commoners of Hoshikagami will be the ones who will decide how should he be punished a week from now." she added.
"After all this time, dad still tries to consult the commoners before making a final decision based on the opinion of most of the people." Fiona murmured.
"And that is the reason why they want you to continue ruling them. Your family respects your subjects' will." Van replied to his soon to be wife as he brushed aside the two strands of hair in front of her forehead and kissed her there.
As Van and Fiona are discussing their plans for the future, Ruji meanwhile remained in serious yet gradually improving situation. He and Thomas had been placed in the same room, with Re Mi and Catherine tending to them respectively.
"Ruji, using your own body as a shield is so reckless of you!" the princess yelled at her partner.
"Sumimasen, Re Mi-hime…" the jonin answered but suddenly suffered a sharp pain in his chest.
The princess then quickly restrained the jonin to prevent him from further hurting himself.
"Hoi, Ruji-san, looks like you went through one hell of a fight, ne?" Thomas said to him.
"And you should have tried to escape when the opportunity was still there; otherwise your body would not have been bruised heavily like this, you jackass." Jamie had responded in defense of his superior.
"Teme yo!" the blond samurai answered in agitation to the chuunin.
"Tending to your patients means you should not say things that might offend them, Jamie-taichoh." Catherine replied to him.
"Saizo ni Iteza-gun wa ochimashita!" Thomas said as he calmed himself.
"We ninjas would not have been able to end Prozen's reign if it had not been for the help of the commoners and good samurai such as yourself." the persimmon-haired kunoichi commented to him. "Many of our men and Fiona-sama's citizens have either lost their lives or are severely injured in last night's rebellion. Still, more people's lives would have been destroyed if we did not stop Prozen from conquering other estates." she continued.
"Fiona-sama, where is she?" Thomas asked her.
"Well, she and Van-sama are having their intimate talk over there." the kunoichi answered.
Thomas then immediately got-up from his bed and walked out of the house they were in.
"Where are you going, Thomas-san?" Ruji asked the samurai.
"To where Fiona-hime is. Even though Van-san is the one she loves and is going to marry him, I still have to tell her that I also love her." the blond replied.
The samurai rushed to where Van and Fiona were having a little talk.
"Van-kun, how do you find the onigiri I cooked?" the young lady asked her partner.
"Fūmiyutaka desu!" the ninja has responded as he enjoyed the taste of the rice ball prepared by his princess.
"Hontoh ni?" Fiona asked in return.
"Hai!" the young man replied as he smiled back at her.
Van then noticed that Thomas has arrived to where he and Fiona were having their breakfast.
"Yo, Thomas-san, why don't you try some of hime's onigiri." the jonin told the samurai as he handed one to Thomas.
"Hai, arigato." the blond samurai answered.
As Fiona also took a bite from one of the onigiri she had cooked, she noticed the troubling look on Thomas' face.
"doushita, Thomas-san? Why aren't you still taking your breakfast?" the princess asked.
"Hmmp, I want to…" the samurai riposted.
"Want to what?" the young lady insisted.
Thomas tried to express his feeling but he was not sure as to how he should express them.
"Thomas-san, you should release yourself to the truth. You won't be able to stand strongly if you just keep all of your perspectives within yourself." Van commented to him. "I know that you want to say to hime, but it's better if you'll tell her yourself." he urged to the samurai.
The prodding of the ninja master finally gave the blond the courage he needed.
"Fiona-hime, you see, I also love you." Thomas confessed to her.
Fiona was quite surprised to hear the samurai's true feeling from him.
"But I also know that Van-san is the only one you love as your partner." he further said.
"Arigato, Thomas-san." the young lady responded. "True, I love Van-kun as my partner ever since we knew each other. He has been one of my best friends ever since that time. But I also love my other friends, including Moonbay, Re Mi, Ruji, Kotona, Maria, and you." Fiona continued.
The princess's statement made Thomas feel somewhat vindicated.
"Arigato…at least I knew you also value me." the blond replied. "As for you, Van-san, promise me that you'll always do everything to keep Fiona-hime well and joyful." he continued.
"You could count on me for that!" the jonin retorted.
Thomas then left the couple to continue their breakfast. He then returned to the medical barracks of the ninja town.
"So have you finally told Fiona-hime about your true feelings?" Catherine asked him.
"Hai. Even if Van-san is the one she loves, I'm still glad that she also likes me as a friend. I just wish her and Van-san to have a joyful relationship. I must admit, they were made perfectly just for each other." Thomas responded.
"Well, couples sometimes experience problems even in perfect relationships. What makes two people a perfect couple is when they don't allow their differences to get in the way of their relationship to each other." the kunoichi answered to him.
"Catherine-san, have you ever experienced falling in love?" the samurai asked her.
"Hai, but the person I love is relatively naïve when it comes to my feeling for him, so I simply keep my mouth shut." the persimmon-haired lady responded.
"To tell you the truth, Fiona-hime is not the only lady I love. There is another woman here who rivals her in my heart." Thomas told her.
"Who?" Catherine asked curiously.
Suddenly, Thomas pulled her towards him and kissed her lips for several seconds. Catherine was completely caught by surprise by what Thomas had done.
"Kimi wa!" the samurai answered to her.
"Sore honma?" the kunoichi asked in response.
"Hai. Actually, a few days after we first met, I was wondering if I also have interest in you. However, at the time I don't actually know whom between you and Fiona-hime I liked more so I decided that whoever would reciprocate my affection would be the one destined for me." he replied.
"For my part, I was content with simply loving you. At least I'm honest about my feelings. Maria-san taught me that when she took me as her protégé when aunt Karen and Dan-sama were subdued by Prozen's men five years ago." the orange-haired girl narrated.
"You mean Van-san and you are cousins?" Thomas said in bewilderment.
"Right. I haven't yet told you that Van-sama's mother is the younger sister of my dad and both of them came from a tribe of ninjas renowned in Aichi as the "secret dolphins of Narumi". Catherine riposted to him.
"Sou da ro! Now that explains why her accent has some hint of Kansai influence." the samurai thought as he returned to his rest.
At the cemetery near Hoshikagami's border, Raven visited the sepulcher of his deceased twin brother.
"Sumanai, Donnie. Had I not been so aggressive in my desire to be the next master of our tribe, you would still be alive." the onyx-haired jonin murmured.
"But at least you got general Kirt, didn't Joyce-sama?" Michael said to Raven.
"Sou desu. Unlike my rival who keeps his despised adversaries alive to give them an indefinite living hell, I prefer to kill my loathed enemies in an instant." the Benitora master riposted.
Raven then reminisced his battle a few hours earlier…
"Joyce-sama, our men cannot fight for much longer if this tide continues!" a chuunin told him.
"I have no qualms if you want to retreat now, just don't make me go with you until I butchered that samurai!" the ninja master told him.
"Butcher me? I don't think you could do that, shinobi." Kirk replied to the jonin.
"Koko de oretachi no tatakai wo owarimashō, Kirk-san!" the ninja responded to Prozen's samurai. "This is for my twin brother whom you killed, bastard!" he continued as he swung his nanigata to Kirk.
The samurai evaded but the jonin quickly followed with a barrage of stabs. For several minutes, thw two traded blows with each other. However, Raven was being overpowered more and more as the fight dragged on.
"Not bad for someone already exhausted. Unfortunately, you won't last long." Kirk taunted to Raven as his katana landed a slash on Rave's upper arm.
Raven's injury was serious enough that his left arm can no longer be used in providing additional force for his weapon's movements.
"Damn, this bastard is one tough guy. My next attack should kill him if I am to ensure Donnie's blood would be repaid." the ninja master thought as he tried to negate the pain of his injuries.
"You know, I loved the screams of your twin brother as I stabbed him when he used his own body as a shield to protect you." the samurai further taunted to him.
"He died an honorable death, being faithful to our master until his last breath. The same can't be said for what will happen to you torturing hundreds of commoners." Raven answered as he threw some shurikens and smoke bombs at his opponent's eyes.
"Smokescreen won't work on me, shinobi!" Kirk said arrogantly as he placed his sword back in its scabbard and tried to shoot Raven with his pistol.
The shots pierced a silhouette behind a veil of smoke. However, the bullets only hit the jonin's haori.
"Shit!" Prozen's general thought as Raven slashed his pistol-holding hand with his sword, then immediately locked his arms on the samurai's neck to prevent the latter from fighting back.
"My rival is like a tiger…He first torments his adversaries before having his subordinates finally kill them just as a tiger will toy first with its prey before letting its cubs deliver the killing bite. On the other hand, I'm more like a crocodile since I prefer to kill my prey right away!" the Benitora master told the samurai.
"Say your prayers before you vanish!" the ninja master whispered to his enemy.
"Daaaaaaaammmmmmmnnnnnnnn you!" Prozen's general shouted just as Raven severed his throat.
End of flashback…
"That samurai gave me one hell of a fight. But at least Donnie's blood has been repaid." the Benitora master responded to Van's protégé.
"Joyce-san, losing your family is hard. I have gone through the same experience." Zairin told Raven as he approached from behind.
"So what do you plan to do now, Zarin-san?" the ninja master asked to the samurai.
"Well, I would serve as one of Hotaro-sama's court bodyguards. I will help the people of Hoshikagami rebuild their lives." the samurai replied as he carried his son on his shoulder.
"Otoh-san, does that mean you'll no longer be samurai?" Kotaro asked to Zairin.
"No, my child. I'll just correct the mistakes I did to the people of the Lynette family." the samurai retorted to his child.
At Hoshikagami, the citizens are busy repairing the damages that their town sustained during theprevious night's revolt that overthrew the Iteza clan's dictatorship and restored Atsushi's family as their leader.
"I still can't believe that Van-kun would rather stay as the master of his tribe rather than being the next daimyo of our estate." Hotaro said to his parents.
"Now that you mention it, he showed at the same time both his pride in being the master of the Byakutaka tribe and his humility in being one of our ninjas." Atsushi replied to his son. "Anyway, Van-kun believes that you are the one best suited to rule the town and the estate of Hoshikagami, so do your best to surpass me." the daimyo continued.
"Speaking about Van-kun, he and Fiona are now planning their wedding, aren't they?" Isami commented on her husband.
"Well, it's their wedding so we should at leave the final decision about the detail to them." Atsushi retorted to his wife.
"I could hardly wait for us to have some little ninja call me granny." Isami continued saying in return.
"Relax. Van and Fiona will surely get there after they got married together." the daimyo riposted.
Moonbay then came to where Atsushi and Isami were having their conversation and told them her suggestions concerning Van and Fiona's coming wedding.
"Moonbay-san, it would be better if you are the one who would suggest that to them." Atsushi told his youngest daughter's handmaid.
Six weeks later, at the start of winter in late November, Prozen and the rest of his officers were brought out to the public square to be tried by the citizens of Hoshikagami and the other estates he had conquered. The Lynette family and his ministers, along with Rudolph and his subordinates, presented the Iteza army leaders to a public thirsting to see Prozen's punishment.
"Atsushi, you always allow your subjects decide your actions. You're weak!" the former dictator tried to taunt the daimyo.
"He is not weak at all! A daimyo's authority is legitimate only when he has the support and admiration of his subjects!" one commoner yelled in response as he hurled mud on Prozen's face.
"Having said that, it's up to you, my people, to deliver the punishment that you think is appropriate for the Iteza clan." Atsushi declared to the crowd.
Almost right away the commoners took their turns to punch Prozen in different parts of his body, with some spitting on his eyes. Likewise, his daughter was whipped by the women and children of the families whom they had persecuted.
"Whether they are men, animals, angels, or demons, all creatures will eventually die someday. At least, this demon will suffer a humiliating death for the atrocities he had done to our people." Rudolph told Atsushi.
As the two daimyo were starting a discussion, Zairin politely interrupted them to ask a favor.
"Atsushi-sama, Rudolph-sama, please allow me to deliver the killing blow to that stupid dog who persecuted my parents." the samurai asked from the daimyos.
"If that's what the people want!" Hotaro has riposted.
The commoners immediately gave the signal to Zairin to finish Prozen off.
"Koko de owarimashō, Prozen Gunther!" the samurai told the already battered man as he drew his katana from its scabbard. "Make-inu, teme wa shini!* he yelled.
"All of you, damn you!" the silver-haired man shouted just before he was hit at the heart by Zairin's sword.
Silence then fell as Prozen was stabbed. Natalie was shocked beyond belief at her father's death. But it she did not have to wait for long as Zairin pointed his sword towards her chest and landed a killing blow on the from the signal of the commoners. Other ordinary townsfolk also executed the last surviving officials of Prozen as the leader of the Iteza clan and his heir breathed their last.
XOXOXOXOXO
(Note: * literally means "die, you bastard stupid dog")